General Mills to Take GMOs Out of Cheerios

On Thursday, General Mills (GIS[1]) announced that boxes of Cheerios labeled “Not Made With Genetically Modified Ingredients” will soon become available at supermarkets across the U.S[2].

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Source: Flickr[4]

General Mills indicated that the decision to remove genetically modified (GMOs) ingredients had been driven by pressure from consumers. General Mills did not indicate exactly when consumers would find the GMO-free Cheerios at their local grocery, but noted that it has been producing Cheerios without GMOs for several weeks, the Associated Press notes.

Not all versions of Cheerios will be ditching GMOs. General Mills said that the change only affects original Cheerios, which are mostly made from already non-GMO oats. General Mills made the original Cheerios GMO-free by selecting different sugar and cornstarch products.

Cheerios variations including Multi Gran Cheerios or Apple Cinnamon Cheerios will still contain GMOs, largely because they are made with corn, which is a heavily GMO crop in the U.S.

General Mills faced pressure from Green America, which organized a campaign to persuade General Mills to introduce products without GMOs.

Monsanto (MON[5]) is a leading developer of GMO crops[6]. MON stock has risen more than 20% since August.